FPT’s CEO becomes the first Vietnamese businessman to achieve Nikkei award

Nikkei Inc., the leading media groupin Japan, has recently announced Truong Gia Binh to receive the Nikkei AsiaPrizes for his contribution to Regional Growth. The award ceremony isorganizing on May 22 in Tokyo, Japan. Accordingly, Binh has become the firstVietnamese businessman to achieve such noble award since its first happening eighteenyears ago.

Nikkei Asia is an annual event tohonor individuals/organizations in the Asia region (excluding Japan) for theirremarkable contribution to the effort to improve living quality and establishsustainable development in the region.

According to Nikkei, Binh not onlyfounded and successfully led FPT to success but also contributing greater partto the development of the IT industry in Vietnam. He was among those who hadestablished Vietnam Software Industry Association and founded a university thatprovides high quality IT engineers.

This award has significant meaningin leveraging FPT in particular and Vietnamese IT industry in Japanese marketin general as one of its aims was to improve the understanding about Asiancountries among Japanese communities.

Every year, Nikkei Inc. presents theNikkei Asia Prizes to outstanding Asian individuals/organizations in thecategories including Regional Growth; Science, Technology and Innovation andCulture). Among three people being honored in the Nikkei Asia 2013, Binh is theyoungest, 57 years old, compared to Indian Professor Tejraj Aminabhavi of 66 inScience, Technology and Innovation and Cambodian engineer, Vann Molyvann of 86 in Culture

Each awarded individual will receive3 million Yen (equal to USD 30,000) and will be invited to the InternationalConference “The Fututre of Asia” organized by Nikkei. Speakers to the eventinclude government officials from several countries and territories in theregion such as Japan, Singapores, Thailand and Vietnam and leaders ofprestigious business groups within Asian region.

The conference is taking place fromMay 23 to 24 in Tokyo. It is expected that Vietnamese Deputy Prime MinisterNguyen Thien Nhan will attend the event, which is going to draft the futureoutlook of Asia-Pacific region and how regional development affects the globaleconomy.

“I was surprised receiving the NikkeiAsia Prizes. This is a great honor for me and FPT. Japan is a strategic partnerof Vietnam and I believe that, partnering with this world’s leading technologynation, Vietnamese IT industry will rise up to the level of neighbor countriessuch as China or India. FPT has made proposals to Japan’s leading corporationsto choose Vietnam as new destination for R&D, IT Services and SoftwareOutsourcing” Binh said.

He will give all the award money toFPT Software’s employees working in Japan as a way to express his gratitudetowards them. Thank to their restless effort and determination, FPT hasachieved the position in Japan as it is today.

In 1996, Nikkei Inc. organized theNikkei Asia Prizes for the first time upon celebration of its 120^thanniversary. To date, there have been four Vietnamese people being awarded withNikkei Asia Prizes. Nikkei gave this honor to writer Bao Ninh in 2001 and filmdirector Dang Nhat Minh (1999) for Culture; and Professor Vo Tong Xuan in 2002for Regional Development.